How to Install a Driveway Drainage Ditch

Instructions

• 1

  Pick the best route for your drainage ditch. You should make it slope away from your driveway toward an area of your property that is preferably lower. The end of the ditch should come no closer than approximately 6 to 8 feet from your house.

• 2

  Check with your local utility companies to make sure there are no buried pipes or cables along the route of the ditch. Remove any flowers, shrubs or rocks that are in the way of your plotted course.

• 3

  Dig a ditch along your decided course. The ditch should be about 10 to 12 inches deep. You may find it necessary to make the ditch gradually deeper to encourage water flow, especially if you don't have a nearby area that is lower than the driveway surface.

• 4

  Place a layer of rocks or gravel inside the length of the ditch. It will help prevent soil erosion and also encourage the growth of groundcover. You may also wish to include some water-loving plants at the point where the ditch ends.